Every year too many infants, children, elderly people, handicapped people, disabled people and pets are injured and/or die due to extreme temperature exposure, such as heat stroke or hypothermia, from being intentionally or unintentionally left or being trapped by playing inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle.
A child's body temperature increases three to five times faster than an adult's and children are not able to dissipate heat as efficiently as adults. Heatstroke occurs when the body core temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, wherein a body core temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit is considered lethal. The results can include permanent organ damage and death. Research and real world incidents have shown that on a warm, sunny day, even at mild temperatures, such as 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature in a closed vehicle can rise to dangerous, lethal temperatures in just a few minutes.
Just as with people, heat stroke in pets can cause nausea, loss of consciousness, irreparable brain damage and death. Pets, more so than humans, are susceptible to overheating or freezing.
Dogs, for example, are designed to conserve heat. Their sweat glands, which exist on their nose and the pads of their feet, are inadequate for cooling during hot days. Panting and drinking water helps cool them, but if they only have overheated air to breathe, dogs can suffer brain damage and organ damage after just fifteen minutes. Further, if a dog is accustomed to being inside, it is more prone to heatstroke.
Federal and state authorities have enacted laws to protect elderly people and children in motor vehicles, i.e. Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 213. Children under a specified age may not be left unattended in a motor vehicle. Further, all states of the United States and the District of Columbia have enacted child restraint laws. Additionally, all children below a specified age and weight, when riding in a motor vehicle, must ride in an approved child safety seat.
A need exists for a safety system that can detect and alert the presence of an occupant in a parked vehicle that is in danger of extreme temperature exposure.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.